Breaking Free
by dragonSpired48
Summary: Humankind has been subjugated by demons. a sort of gladiator story. rated for violence. might be M later.
1. Ch1: The Arena

Welcome to the world of the demons...

_Disclaimer:_ Inuyasha and the other characters, obviously, aren't mine.

Note: The "prelude" moves kinda slowly. That's just a warning. Please don't let it throw you off!

Chapter One: The Arena

_Prelude_

A huge cheer arose in the distance. A huge cloud of black birds, like an omen of evil, were scared out of the surrounding trees and poured cackling into the sky. The forest stood dark and silent; but at its very center such a raucous and rowdy noise spouted that the forest around seemed even darker in contrast.

At the center of the forest, where all the noise was coming from, was a huge stadium of rock. It towered over the trees by a good hundred meters, sheer and solid. Architecture stolen from an era long ago had served to make seats after row of seats that carved their way down into a central, sandy arena. At the very top of the stadium was a magnificent ledge that protruded right out over the edge of the bowl.

These seats were covered in hordes of demons, all milling and shouting and snarling. At the very bottom, in pens, were a hundred low demons, which frothed and wriggled and cast their ugly bodies around on the stone ground. Just beyond them, on the hot sands, stood several people. Several important people.

The first was a demonic man with long, black hair. It blew wildly around him, sinister and shadowy. His pale skin and deep, dark eyes were set in a humanlike face; but his body was strong and large and armored, a human body gone awry, like a nightmare. He was nearly eight feet tall, and the point was made with the huge, arching iron spines that curved up behind his head like fangs.

Standing somewhat near him was a demon woman in a kimono. She too was humanlike, except for pointed ears and strangely red eyes, which were all that were showing above the fan in front of her face. Revolted by the squirming low-demon hordes penned near her, she glanced about disdainfully– but she never got too close to the black-haired man.

And in a small group behind them, in the center of the sandy arena, were two goblinlike demons restraining one final character. They each had knotted muscles under tough skin, but that last figure was strong enough that the three heaved around on the sand. The third figure was a blur of red, but as the two goblins stepped backward, he was forced into stillness.

It was a boy, a boy in red fire rat clothing. Now that he'd stopped moving, it was easy to see that ropes, held by the large goblin handlers, bound his arms and legs. He stood panting and snarling on the hot sand. One goblin pressed a button on his utility belt, at a nod from the black-haired demon leader. The boy twitched, and arched back for a minute, with a wild cry– the button sent a strong charge through his body. When it ended a split second later he stood rock-still, his tawny eyes glared at the mass of demons in the stands all around him, but he remained motionless.

The black-haired demon raised a pale hand into the air, and the stands hushed immediately. Even the penned demons became still.

"Demons," said his cold voice, "I have once again brought you back here for the Festival of Battle. Today you will see good fighting and good bloodshed, and you will be sated so that you may pay me homage tomorrow. Those of you in the Upper Caste, feel free to enjoy the sight. I have no fear for your self-control. Lower caste, you will stay in the stands. If you lose yourself to bloodlust and come into the arena you will be fed to the low breed" –here he indicated the penned demons– "without so much as a fight. And of course, you all will see the human events– by far the best." He half-smiled, a look so evil and cruel that even the Upper Caste raised their eyebrows. With great sarcasm he said, "And here to greet you is my best fighter, the champion of the bloodbath. Inuyasha, say hello to your audience."

The demon nodded again at the guard, and the goblin pressed the button. The boy's head jerked to the side. A shudder ran through him, and then Inuyasha snarled and roared and lunged, and the crowd broke into jeers and applause. The pale demon smiled even more, and shushed the audience as Inuyasha was dragged away and out of a huge stone gateway at the arena's back. "Now we begin the tournament. I give you– the Festival of Battle!"

Again the shouts and roars of the audience, a huge roar that turned into the chant "Nara-ku! Nara-ku!" To this deafening chant, a large floating feather lifted black-haired Naraku with the demon lady into the central viewing spot above the arena. A swarm of poison bees, Saimyosho, buzzed furiously into the crowd, ready to maintain order once the festival was underway, but the demons stamped and roared and cheered for a full three minutes before a shape burst out of the large stone gateway at the back of the arena… the 'performer's' entrance.

"Demons! Welcome!" cried the new demon. "I am Koujun, your host for today, and it is I who will give you the goods on today's most awesome and amazing fighting! Now, at Naraku-dono's command, we begin!"

• • • • •

Chapter One 

Kagome usually didn't spare the demon 'performers' a glance. She was frightened of them. They were exiles, or demon prisoners, or low breed demons. Even those low-breeds were scary. They were ugly and nonhuman and full of fangs. She shuddered. At least the humanlike demons could talk, and were intelligent. They were always the more powerful ones, the human-looking ones. Once, she'd mentioned that to Kaede, her division leader, and the woman had slapped her.

"Never call them human-looking," she had snapped. "It may seem that way to us, but they are demons. To connect them with humans at all is a great insult. Insult them and lose your life. Understand?"

Kagome had bowed her head, and returned to her chores. The demons _were_ scary, human-like or not… But she would never show it. No matter how terrifying the demons were, as she fed them or bandaged them or gave them their weapons, in some cases, she tried to act unafraid. This, too, got her in trouble, especially with the demon superiors– but if she acted afraid, how would that make her any better?

"Kagome!" someone yelled. She spun around in the stone hallway, her bare feet used to the rough and dirty rock floor. " Get going! Sedate E-4 right now!"

She ran to do as bidden. Her dirty black hair shook behind her. It had been long once, but Kaede had cut it short to keep her healthy. Keade may be cranky, she reminded herself, but she's smart. So many humans who worked in the shadows of the Festival died from disease– but the humans who had Kaede as their division leader lived longer. Maybe a few years longer.

The goblins were still in E-4 with its inmate, trying to restrain him so Kagome could give him a sedative shot. The goblins couldn't manage anything so precise; they were useless when it came to anything besides brute force. She hated them, and they leered at her, but gave her enough room to give the shot.

E-4 was still snarling and struggling against the ropes, spread-eagled against the wall. Kagome trembled as she moved in right up close, her fingers fumbling for the collar code she knew well. Her nimble fingers could do what demon fingers couldn't, and the collar came off in her hand.

This was always the most dangerous moment. Without the restraining collar, the demon could easily break free of his ropes and kill her with those dangerous claws. The demon snarled and shook himself powerfully, like a dog shaking out water droplets. He clenched his fists. Nervously Kagome raised a hand for help, as she'd been taught to do if the warning signs came, and the one of the goblin guards appeared to jam an electric prod up against E-4's chest while the other shoved the struggling demon against the cell wall.

Kagome, biting her lip, rubbed alcohol from a little bottle on the inmate's neck where a line from the collar was visible. Two tiny puncture marks lay along the line– for in the collar were two small shots administered by a button pushed on the collar itself. She reset the collar from its inside, refilled the buttons, and then placed it back on the demon's neck.

"Easy, boy," she said. "You're getting a little shot now. Easy." She made her voice sound soothing. Amazingly, some demons responded to it. Human battlers did, too– when their nerves were so shot that they couldn't tell human from demon, she had to constantly soothe. "Easy, easy…" She took out of her utility belt a syringe and a bottle of liquid. He relaxed just a little, and she held the needle up to his arm, pushing up the fire-rat cloth. It was a short-lasting sedative, because he'd be fighting in two hour or so. She found a vein and slid the needle in. Within a minute, E-4 was acquiescent and calm. He was still awake, though, and looked at her with his gold-eyed gaze for a minute before his head dropped to his chest.

Kagome walked past the guards, putting away her syringe and sedative. For some reason she couldn't fathom, E-4 didn't scare her, not at all. Maybe it was the way that when the anger-rousing drugs wore off, he had a sort of intelligent look to him. Or how whenever she gave him a sedative shot, and he calmed down, he seemed to search her soul just for a second.

"Kagome! Come here and tend to E-17, he's on in five minutes!"

She took off at a run down the corridor, but her thoughts lingered with E-4 for as long as they could.

• • • • • •

One hour later, Kagome was called back to E-4. He was awake again, and tugging at the ropes weakly. The sedative was still in effect, and the collar was on. The goblins were waiting outside the barred door for her to finish up.

She knelt down and filled the trough with water from a pump. A grown man should be working the water pumps, but Kagome liked to do it for E-4, so he wouldn't have to wait for the waterman to come around. Water spilled into the trough, and the demon watched it thirstily. Kagome only allowed a small amount of water to fill the bowl, as ordered, and he bent his head to it and drank it all in one gulp.

The demon watched her as she stood up and came over to his side to ready the drugs in his collar, and give him a shot that would take its effect in time for his battle. She was disgusted at herself, as the syringe emptied itself of the drug. With _all_ the human-looking demons, it was hard to do things like this. But with this demon it was even more wounding, and he couldn't even talk like the higher-order demons could.

He jerked and stiffened as the drug entered his body. The powerful claws flexed in and out, and then a spasm shook him, and a little cry escaped from between clenched fangs. Kagome's eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away. The drug she'd given him was mysterious, and she only knew that rabid anger was a side effect. Luckily it took time to set in. E-4 calmed, and Kagome gave a wave to the guards. They came in and she went out, but stayed to watch through the door as the red-garbed figure was untied and lifted down from the wall. They would exercise him next, getting him in gear, and all the while his anger and adrenaline would build. He would become a raging, screaming killer– that's what she'd heard. He had won all the battles he'd ever fought in a tournament.

She started to leave; there was no more use for her here. But something stopped her, just as the demon was led away from behind the guards.

"Kikyo," he said, stopping outside his door, and looking directly at Kagome. "Kikyo."

His voice sounded so sad, and so human, that she didn't even recognize whose voice it was. She spun around and stared at the demon prisoner.

And then the goblins tugged him down the corridor, hurrying while the sedative and new drug lasted. Kagome stood rock-still. From outside came a roar and screams and shouts and cheering, but she only heard the word 'Kikyo.'

She had been right. That demon was no low-breed. He could talk. And he had talked to her. He had said a name, a human-type name. Thoughts whirling, she turned and walked in the opposite direction, toward her next assignment.

• • • • •

Next chapter is up! Keep going:D And, er...if you would review...that would make someone's day very very happy...


	2. Ch2: The Battlegrounds

Note from moi: The first chapter was just too long so I divided it and made some changes too. Enjoy.

• •

Chapter One-Point-Five (heehee): The Battleground

He lay panting in a cell, covered in blood. He had a cell all to himself, a rank granted to the humans titled 'special' by the demons, but at the same time, he wished deep inside him for company.

His eyes were blurred from the sudden dark cell after the bright hotness of the arena, and his arms trembled and twitched as though still fighting.

Someone appeared in the doorway, and he lunged upwards instinctively. His angry shouts sent the person stepping away from the door, but a voice issued from it: "Easy. Settle down, Miroku-sama. Your battle is over. I am here to take care of you. Shhh. It's all right."

Miroku stopped, and sat back in the dank hay. He couldn't focus his eyes on the person, but somewhere a name was surfacing. "Ka…Kagome," he said weakly.

"That's right. It's me, and I'll fix those wounds. I'll be right in."

Her voice trembled just a little bit. Miroku wondered vaguely if he scared her, and felt an odd sadness. His door, marked E-10, creaked open, and she came in with bandages in her hands.

He lay back, chains clanking. "Water…" he gasped.

Kagome stood up, her voice thick with tears. "I'll get it." She went over to the pump, and pushed with all her might, but she could barely move it. A trickle of water came into the stone bowl near Miroku, and he licked it up, every droplet. Then he heard sounds that he hadn't heard in a long time. Kagome was hunched over the pump, and little sobbing sounds were escaping her.

"Kagome-sama…do I scare you…that much?"

"No, Miroku." She sobbed harder. "No, you don't."

Miroku struggled upright and hissed in pain as fresh blood ran down in a little rivulet from his side. Kagome was next to him in an instant.

"Don't mind me," she said between hiccupy sobs, trying to swallow the reflexive tears. "Don't. You're wounded. Let me help you. I'm fine," she said, pushing away his hand gently.

She peeled back the black and purple clothing from his upper body. She withheld the gasp that longed to escape her. No matter how many times she saw wounds, it was always as raw to her as the wound itself. "I- I'm afraid you might need Kaede's skills…"

"That bad?" He coughed, a blood flecked Kagome's apron. "Oh- sorry-"

"It's dirty anyways. Please, Miroku, stay resting here and I'll get Kaede to see you." She went to the door, and shut it behind her, hating her weakness. Miroku's eyes gleamed in the half-light, and then those vanished. Kagome bit back the sobs again– if a demon superior heard her showing weakness, his reflexive response might be to kill her. Already she was in danger. She stood for a long moment, composing herself. Then she slowly walked away, taking care not to jar herself– her back was sore and tender, but that was the least of her worries.

What she had seen not even one hour ago was so shaking that she thought she might die.

• • • •

_One hour earlier:_

Outside, as the day wore on, the demon crowd was building in excitement. First had come the low-breed battles. Those were fairly enjoyable, short and brutal and full of flying flesh. Then came the special program events– anybody could see low-breed demons fighting in the forest any day– and normal humans fought with demons. Sometimes the humans won, and covered in blood were taken for a lap of honor around the sands. Most collapsed before the lap was through. The dead demon was thrown to the other low-breeds. And if the low-breed won, he was fed the humans, and then fed to the mass of demons. There was no shortage of low-breeds. In some ways, they were even lower in status than humans– shocking though it seemed.

After this, more talented humans fought higher-class demons, until the climax of the show– when humans fought humans. This was a special treat for most demons, and it was always very bloody and traumatic to the humans. Demons couldn't get enough. And of course there was the star of this event: Inuyasha. He always won his matches. First he was set up against mighty demons, and then, weakened, against humans. He always won, there, too– so he didn't fight many matches. No one wanted to waste higher demons like that, and fighting humans were sometimes of short supply.

Inuyasha come out onto the bright sands. He was energetic and struggling mightily against his bonds. The other demon was calmer. He seemed to have the intelligence to not waste energy like that.

The guards looked to Naraku high in his booth, and he waved a red cloth lazily. The guards, to the roaring of the crowd, let loose the fighters– and the battle began.

When it was over, the other demon lay in pieces, blood soaking the ground. Inuyasha stood and clutched his side tightly, but he was the victor. He bent his head over the flesh of the demon and took a large bite. The demons above cheered.

Within a minute, the guards brought out a man with a bow and arrow, a human man whose black clothing indicated he was not to be paid attention to. He shot an arrow into the eating demon's back. Inuyasha whirled around and charged at the human– but dropped to the sand, twitching, as the guards ran forward and reset him in his bonds.

Two humans were brought onto the grounds this time; they, too, were in bonds, and their weapons were laid in the sand a few feet away. One, a man, was in demon-fighting gear, with armor and a mask. The other was a young woman also in black and red fighting gear. The demons in the stands knew it would be a good match…

…Kagome had snuck out a back way to watch. She had never seen a demon match before, nor wished to, but she couldn't keep her mind from thinking about how Inuyasha had spoken to her. She squashed herself into a nook between the stone gateway and the wall of the stands. There were demons shouting not fifteen feet from her, and that made her heart beat faster– but she tried not to be afraid. She watched as the humans, and then Inuyasha, were set loose.

The humans grabbed their weapons. Kagome didn't recognize either of them, but they were clearly the special humans trained in demon killing. The two sent metal scythes spinning around their heads on long chains, and then in perfect unison sent the scythes rushing at Inuyasha.

He dodged, but as he did the woman lifted a huge boomerang and shouted "Hiraikotsu!" The boomerang leaped from her strong hand, spinning directly into Inuyasha and slightly knocking his shoulder even as he tried to avoid it. He let out a howl, completely feral, and fell to the sand. It had only just grazed him, and yet its power had clearly fractured his shoulder or worse.

Kagome put a hand to her mouth. She suddenly realized what was happening inside her: was she really hoping that E-4 would win this battle? Was she that much of a traitor to her own kind? Horrified to the bottom of her soul, Kagome started to run back into the stone corridors of the demon housing– to put all this behind her– but the battle was underway, and it drew her terrified stare.

Inuyasha charged at the humans, claws raking the air and leaving glowing trails of demon power. Normal humans would have been vanquished in one claw-filled swipe; but these were 'special' and he was injured.

Both humans leaped aside. The boomerang returned to the hand of the woman, and both sent the chain handles of the scythe spinning for Inuyasha's legs. The man's found its hold and brought the demon crashing to the ground. The woman leaped forward to cut off the demon's head, but he was up again in a moment. He sprang away from the woman and towards the man, who drew a sword and threw it like a dart at Inuyasha's chest. It missed, and Inuyasha's snarling self reared back to land the final blow on the man. But the woman now intervened. Her sword passed straight through the demon's upraised arm, and blood spurted into the air. The man rolled away, retrieving his sword. They faced the injured demon together.

Coordinated, the woman threw a packet of powder at Inuyasha, who leaped away from a sudden gas cloud that made him choke and retch. The man lunged for the coughing demon, and sent his scythed blade into Inuyasha's side. It cut in deeply, and Inuyasha yanked it out with a savage scream. Kagome covered her ears. It was too much! Her eyes blurred with forbidden tears.

She sat and focused inwards, trying to quell the tears. If the demons near her felt her weakness, she was dead. Only their bloodlust kept them from sensing her now. When he vision cleared, Inuyasha was in the air– and suddenly–

The man's head landed almost at Kagome's feet. She stared in utter horror. The mask had come off, and blood trickled into the man's beard from his mouth. Its dead eyes stared directly at her, unseeing. She froze, skin crawling.

The woman had watched, stunned, as her partner's body crumpled in slow motion. "No!" she screamed. "Father! No!" Inuyasha stared at her unseeingly. The woman ran towards the body lying on the sand. Inuyasha leaped at her, and with a slash to her back, she crumpled. Kagome gasped, and tears started coming silently from her eyes.

Inuyasha looked up towards where Naraku sat. If he waved the red banner, it meant to finish the girl off– she was still alive, moaning and bloody, but alive. The red flag did not come. She was to be allowed to live, and re-fight in another battle. Kagome breathed a small sigh of relief.

Inuyasha started coming toward Kagome's hiding spot…and for the first time, she was afraid of him, and openly. He got so close she could see the redness in his eyes. His fangs looked longer, and stripes had appeared on his face like a high-caste demon. He went over to the man's head, lifted it above himself, and let the blood fall into his mouth.

Kagome started to scream. It couldn't be, it couldn't be! She had never seen a demon in bloodlust before, not like this. It was terrifying. That girl, that poor girl! She was dead! Her father…that head was her father…had been her father… The scream died in her throat. Inuyasha was looking at her. He'd seen her. Her life was over.

She shut her eyes tight and prayed. Nothing happened. She opened an eye a crack, sweating and shaking. E-4 had dropped the head. He was staring blankly. Then suddenly he arched back, and the madness returned to him– someone was pressing the collar button. Kagome slipped back in through the giant stone gateway as the handlers dragged Inuyasha back, and some black-garbed humans came and took the girl and the man away. Then she was inside the gateway, stuffing her fingers in her mouth to keep from screaming.

He was a murderer. A heartless demon, like any other. And she was no better, to hope he'd win. Those poor humans! One was dead…one mortally injured… She realized that the demon had won against every human he'd been up against, and shuddered. When people talked about winning, they meant death. They meant he'd taken lives. That was how he won. Certain death, only spared by Naraku's nonchalant humors. She sank to the floor.

It had never really occurred to her.

"Kagome! Where have you been!" She jumped. Someone had discovered her!

It was Kaede. She hauled Kagome to her feet. "Where were you? The demon superior is even looking for you! It's been half an hour. Where…" She stopped and looked at Kagome, whose eyes were tear-filled. "How dare you! Stop that this instant!" she hissed. "You'll be–"

"What's all this?" drawled an icy voice. Both Kaede and Kagome spun around. It was Renkotsu, the demon superior for their division. His eyes were narrowed. "You. Girl. How dare you miss your duties?"

Kaede bowed her head before him, and Kagome did the same. "Please, Superior. This girl is one of the best caretakers I have. She's got medicinal knowledge and a great obedience. But–" she pushed Kagome forward– "harm her if you wish, Superior, for though she would never dream of disobeying you, she has erred."

Renkotsu smirked at the old lady. "Well, I just might do it. But I'm in a good mood today. Just whip her for her error, and then send her back to work. If she's valuable, then why waste her? Eh?"

Kaede bowed again. "Your wisdom is great, Superior. It shall be done."

Renkotsu strutted away. Kagome found she'd been holding her breath, and let it out in a silent rush. "Thank you," she whispered to Kaede.

Kaede faced her. "Girl. If you do this again, I may not be able to help you. Come. I will whip you, and then you will return to work." She said that last loudly, for Renkotsu's benefit. Kagome flinched. Kaede may have tried to help her, but she was also serious. "And when I'm done, go take care of the human monk in E-10. He's injured."

Kagome returned to the E Block fifteen minutes later, walking carefully, her back sore. She tried not to think of blood, tried not to look at the cell inmates as they howled or glared at her or moaned in pain. She kept walking, keeping her head high, and staring at the far wall to block it all out.

She walked past E-4. The cell was empty; the demon was probably outside and resting before launching into another battle. He was a creature, a mindless creature devoted entirely to blood and death. She shuddered, and her figure receded into the shadows.

…

…End of Chapter One (and a half)…--

I have the second/third chapter all written but I am waiting to test the waters for a reaction...gives a hopeful look at lab coat So please, review.


	3. Ch3: Chains

Chapter Three (!): Chains

Notes:

Note: '-sama' is a prefix of respect. I'm not so sure about this, but in this chapter I use '-dono' as a step up. It translates to 'master' or something like that. :-)

Note 2: I've made **Renkotsu** (and all the Shichinintai) into demons. I know that they're actually revived humans in the series, but…

Last note, I swear: **Koujun** is a purely fictional character. His name means "obedience" as far as I can tell…

_Disclaimer:_ _Inuyasha and co. are not mine._

_THANK YOU _to my Beta reader Julie! Mwah!

• • •

There was just blackness for a long time. And then, suddenly, there was a little arc of light. _What…_ he thought drowsily. His thoughts kept swimming out of his grasp, like fish. _What…_ Someone was touching him. He leaned toward it, but the touch moved away. He wanted touch. He wanted reassurance of a living, warm body. Come back…come back…!

Then something metal touched him, and he leaped into consciousness.

He was bound, spread-eagled on the stone wall. He was sore and aching all over. His fingers twitched.

"Easy," someone whispered. A needle lowered itself into his vein. He tensed, and then found himself relaxing. "Easy. It's okay. Your battle is over. The battles are over for a while. Take it easy."

His head bowed. He was sinking back into oblivion. Through the crescent of light between his half-shut eyes, he saw a face. It was turned away from him, but it seemed somewhat familiar. The face turned to him for a split second, and he saw. "Kikyo," he tried to say, but the words weren't coming. They were sticking in his throat, as the blackness crashed back down and drove all thought away.

• • • • •

The Festival was finally over for the day. The stadium was silent. But now, it was the back halls that rang with noise. The cries of wounded humans. The snarls of hurt demons. The orders of the division leaders and superiors. The bustling about, to prepare for the following day.

Kagome was just leaving E-4's cell. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. She'd wanted to believe he was the victim, somehow. Something had made her feel some kind of…pity… for him. But the way he'd jumped on the stricken girl, when her father had just been killed…they had been fighting for their lives… They had to fight or be killed. It was E-4 who had killed, ruthlessly.

Naraku-sama had saved the life of that girl, though. Kagome snuck past E-25, just to check on her. She was moaning and feverish, and Kaede herself was tending to her. The girl, close up, was only about nineteen­– only four years older than Kagome herself. Kagome felt sick, and hurried away.

_E-4 has done that. He has killed so many, injured so many. That demon…he's like the other demons. They're all the same._

• • • • •

The next day, everyone woke early. Kaede shook Kagome awake at the crack of dawn. "Go and tend to E-10 through E-15. They'll be fighting first."

The thought that those people or demons might be dying today made Kagome physically sick. The world was reeling around her. Death was around the corner…

The world seemed more upside-down then she remembered it. Had things always been this way? Random? Unstable? One throw of the dice and you were dead, with blood seeping into the sand. And another, you were the victor. And here she was, unable to control any part of herself or her life.

The feeling was so overpowering that Kaede hit her twice with a roll of paper before she noticed anything at all. She stuffed the thoughts in the back of her mind. They were fragmented, vague. She couldn't tell what was going through her head, exactly– so she shoved those thoughts back and away, and washed and dressed herself.

• • • •

E-10 was Miroku. His weapon-staff was padlocked outside to the wall outside him door. Kagome had no keys; she was not the weapons-master. She opened the gate to his cell and stepped inside. He moaned and turned over, but no sooner did he do so that he let out a sharp breath.

_He shouldn't be fighting today!_ Kagome thought worriedly. She rushed to his side and brought out the medicines and bandages. _He's human, not demon! He can't heal so quickly! _ "I'll be right back, Miroku," she said to him. _I have to speak to someone about this._ He gave a weak laugh.

"Does that mean the same kind of 'right back' as it did yesterday?" he asked. Kagome felt a rush of guilt. She had been so caught up in her stupid emotions, she had neglected this man's needs. "I am so, so sorry," she whispered.

"Don't be. Lady Kaede covered for you, Kagome-sama. Ah!" He bit back his groan as Kagome unwound yesterday's bandages and renewed them.

"Here. I've got painkillers, right here–"

Miroku showed great self-restraint as Kagome fumbled with the painkilling herbs. When she handed them over, he gulped them down, and smiled at her. "Thank you. I-"

Kagome had never found herself hating to be thanked before, but she did now. Sure, it had made her uncomfortable, in the past, to be thanked by humans; but she now blazed up in such a fury of passion that Miroku cringed back.

"Why do you thank me?" she cried. "Why? I am no better than– than _they_ are! Here I am, reviving you just so you can be reused! Why can't I–" She attacked the chain links that bound Miroku's chains to the wall, scrabbling at them. But just as demon gear could only be unlocked by humans, so human gear could only be undone by demons. Her efforts to free him were useless. Miroku flung himself at her as best he could.

"Shh. Shh," he muttered quietly, trying to calm her outburst. "I don't want to see you get in trouble. Kagome-sama. Kagome! Stop this!" She stared at his sudden anger. "If you continue, you will surely be part of the act today. You are lucky to have the position you hold. You mustn't lose it!"

Kagome shook her head wildly. "I- I can't take this…I don't know– I can't think–"

"Good! Don't think! Here­–" he forced the bandages into her hands– "take these! Don't think! Just do!"

It was like what Kaede had always told her. She forced the wild brain activity to shut down. For years it had been her norm to block all disturbing thoughts from herself, keeping her mind neutral and blank. It was something you had to do to survive. She couldn't behave like this in front of him. No matter how her insides raged, it wasn't fair to him to burden him like this. She swallowed the flames of her confusion and emotion.

"I am sorry, Miroku. So sorry…"

A demon appeared in the doorway. Kagome spun around. It was Renkotsu. He glared at her. "You! Girl! Again! What the hell do you think you're doing?" He grabbed the front of her smock and lifted her to the tips of her toes. She did not resist.

"If you keep behaving like this, you'll be a free snack for the low-breeds! Get back to work, scum!" He threw her against the wall. "If you don't have this human ready soon­–"

She crawled to his feet, her mind stumbling for words. "Oh my Superior! Forgive me! Please, allow me to explain! It is best that you in your wisdom decide this, not me!"

He glared icily. "Explain. Now."

"Mir– This human has not recovered properly. After all, as you know better than I, he does not have the demon power to recover. Please, please, do not have him– I mean, it would be a shame to spoil the event with a quick match, over too soon. He would make a terrible fighter today, of no entertainment at all." She lowered her head to the floor. "It is for you to decide, Superior."

"Damn right it's for me to decide! Does your division leader know you're this cheeky!" He kicked at her with spike-edged boot, and three lines of blood appeared on her face. "You've failed to heal this human. I'll deal with you later. There's much to do. Tend to this human, and get back to your chores, you filth! And prepare…let's see. Prepare E-27 instead." He kicked at her again. She could have easily dodged, but allowed the boot-spines to scrape across her back. "Useless human!" Then he was gone.

Miroku was trying to reach her, but his chains prevented him. "Kagome-sama… Kagome-dono," he whispered to her. Kagome looked around at him. "You've saved my life," he whispered.

Kagome turned her face away in shame. "It was nothing," she said so quietly he barely heard it.

"Kagome-dono?"

She moved away from him, into the corner shadows. "I…I … You may be spared, Miroku…and I cannot regret that…but I've just condemned another…"

Miroku could say nothing. There was nothing to say.

• • • •

"So, Inuyasha is scheduled to be put against Blocks B and then A today?"

"Yes, Koujun. With the sword. It's always the top spectacle. Don't mess it up."

Koujun rubbed his head, and nodded. "I'll work that sword thing into my commentary."

Moryomaru gave Koujun a glare. "Remember, demon, you'd better do well out there. There's not a lot standing between you as announcer as you as participant."

Koujun gulped. "Yes…yes sir."

"Oh, and don't reveal anything about the sword, Koujun. You know what will happen if you do. Just say that…say that to make it interesting, Inuyasha has to kill the demon before it kills some humans." Moryomaru sat languidly in his chair, an expression of distaste on his face. "I can't understand why Naraku…you won't let this leave this room, Koga…I can't understand why he'd give Inuyasha his sword back."

"But that sword is Naraku-dono's."

"Oh no, it's not. His little secret." An angry and scheming expression crossed Moryomaru's face. "He can't use it. But when demons see Inuyasha use it, and know that is Naraku's sword, they will infer than Naraku is demonstrating what he could do with it."

Koujun was taken aback slightly. The sword was one of Naraku's symbols of power. And yet…

Moryomaru suddenly stood up and swept past him, out of the stone room. Koukun bowed very low as the large demon strode by him. The instant Moryomaru slammed the door behind him, Koujun sat down weakly on his stone bed, with the schedule for the day's fights in front of him. Each time a new fight was up, it was his job to make a small statement of some kind. He began to practice what he'd say for Inuyasha's introduction.

"Demonkind, this demon here has a record of 238 to none: wins to losses! Here we'll see how he can do against the monolithic Goshinki! No…I have to mention the switch from D and C to A and B, that's a dramatic shift. And the sword, I have to talk somehow about the sword."

Koujun sat and tried to think of something concise and exciting with which to begin the event, but he found himself drifting. He forced his mind back to the task at hand. It was no time to be thinking of the pack life, of freedom, of living like a demon. Was he the only one who remembered the days before Naraku? Perhaps that was why he was little better off that the gladiator demons and humans. He wasn't free, but he wasn't completely degraded like they. Have some pride, demon! he told himself.

But it was hard to let go of thoughts of the primitive, down-to-earth, natural way of life with the coyote-demon pack so long ago.

• • • •

There. This was originally the first part of chapter two but the way things are going I am already on chapter three! Woot! Um, just ignore that…

Anyway, please review if you haven't done so. I take writing pretty seriously…:-( I can't help it!


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